spaethe



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. SPAETHE.

REED ORGAN.

No. 593,498. Patented-Nov. 9, 1897.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. SPAETHB.

REED ORGAN.

No. 593,498. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

0. SPAETHE.

REED ORGAN.

No. 593,498. Patented Nov. 9,1897.

ATTUHNEYS.

l ing of the reeds is produced, and also showing UNITED STATES nTnNT Fries.

OTTO SPAETI-IE, OF GERA, GERMANY.

REED-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,498, dated November 9, 1897.

Application led April 13, 1897. Serial No. 632,011.A (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Or'ro SPAETHE, a citizen of Germ any, residing at Gera, in the Principality of Reuss and Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to certain improvements in reed-organs wherein the vibration and sounding of the reeds is produced by air suction. Heretofore in all reed-organs operated by air suction the air-valves were arranged within the wind-chest, which was hermetically screwed to the bellows, so that the organ had to be entirely taken apart when it was necessary to obtain access to the valves. This was connected with considerable difficulty and required both skill and expert knowledge. In my improved reed-organ operated by air suction'this inconvenience is entirely obviated by arranging the entire valve mechanism at any desired distance above or over the wind-chest, which is connected with the bellows by suitable air-ducts.

My invention consists mainly in the peculiar construction of the valve mechanism whereby a continuous sounding of the reeds independently of the melody is obtained.

The improvement further consists in a dome-shaped resonator which extends over the upper portion of the valve mechanism and whereby the tone character of the sustained chords is considerably modified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical transverse section of a reed-organ, showing the arrangement of the valve-operated mechanisms which -are located above the wind-chest of the bellows. Fig. 2 is a similar vertical transverse section showing the same mechanisms in a different position. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of my improved reed-organ, the resonator being removed and the central portion thereof broken away. Fig. 4 is an end elevation looking toward the right of Fig. 3 and showing the resonator in section. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail vertical transverse sections of the valve mechanism and the resonator, respectively, showing the `former in the position in which, inde pendently of the melody, a continued soundthe same in the position in which jacks of the valves are released from the lifting mechanism by means of the throw-off device.

Similar letters vof reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, ct represents the wind-chest of the bellows, and a the air-duct which leads from the'wind-chest to the reedchest. The usual bank of keys is arranged in front of the organ, and the same consists of a suitable number of keys c, which are each connected by means of a rearward extension CZ with the sticker e, which is guided through a suitable hole in the frame A of the organ. Pivoted at g to a rail G, extending across the frame A of the organ, is a valve-leve1'(,which at its free end carries a valve f, said valvelever being subject to the downward pressure of a plate-spring h, which is fixed at one end to the said rail G and which at its free end is received in a depression in the upper part of said valve-lever. The valve f controls the valve-orificef,l formed in the top of the upper chamber Z of the reed-chest W. In this upper chamberZ of the reed-chest is arranged the reed-plate Z, which is provided with a suitable number of reeds and which extends over the register-openings Z2. The registeropenings Z2 are each under the control of a register-valve b, which may be opened and closed through the medium of a sticker b', operated by means of a fulcrumed lever e, the forward upwardly-bent end of which is adapted to be engaged and pressed downwardly by means of a foot-piece u', arranged on the rear end of the stop u. Above the valve-lever g is arranged a lever Z, fulcrumed at Z' to an upright Z2, which lever at its front end has a longitudinally-extending rod m, which is provided with a lip m', that extends across the whole series of valves. The fulcrumed lever Z is under the tension of a spring Z3, the lower end of which is attached to a bracket-arm CL2, which is applied to the middle portion ofv the organ. The lever Z may be rocked on its ful- -crum Z and the rod m, which is oscillated,

thereby raised and lowered by means of a connecting-link n, which is connected pivotally to the bell-crank lever o, fulcrumed at o', said lever being vadapted to be rocked on its fulcrum by means of a pull-rod u'.

Adapted to cooperate with the lip m' of the oscillating rod m is a spring-jack Z, which is IOO fixed and extends upwardly from the valvelever g and is provided with an offset portion or face-piece i. The manner in which said parts cooperate will be hereinafter fully described.

At one end of the organ is fulcrumed at r a lever r, which carries at its upper end a throw-off bar s and which is pivotally connected at its lower end with an actuating-le ver t, said throw-off device being adapted to engage the upper end of the spring-jack t' for the purpose to be hereinafter stated.

Z is a helical spring which is xed at one end to the frame A of the organ and which at the other end is connected with the upper end of the lever r and serves for the purpose of retaining the throw-off vbar against the stop s', which is iixed at the upper end of the upright Z2.

The rear part of the chamber Z of the reedchest N is open and is adapted to be closed by means of hinged doors @which when moved into open position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, permit ready access of the reedplate Z.

Extending over the sound valves, the spring-j ack thereon, lifting mechanism which engages the jacks, and the throw-off mechanism is a dome-shaped resonator which can be made of metal, glass, or other suitable material and is provided with inwardly-opening valves which serve for controlling the volume of sound produced. In order to impart a peculiar characterto the sounds, the resonator is, besides being dome-shaped or arched at the top, provided with suitable damping material. (Not shown in the drawings.)

The operation is as follows: The organist iirst calls into action the lifting mechanism which engages the jacks of the valves. To do this, the rod n is pulled outwardly, thus pullin g downward the connecting-rod n, which rocks the lever Z on its fulcrum and draws the rod m and its lip m downward, as shown by the arrows in Fig. l. YVhen the organist now depresses a key or keys so as to produce the desired sounds or chord, the stickers e, the corresponding valve-levers g, and the valves f raised, and the parts operated inthe direction shown by the arrows in Fig. l, so that when the organist removes his or her fingers from the depressed keys the lip m will be in engagementwith the shoulders or offset portions t" of the spring-jacks z' of the raised valves, as shown in Fig. 2. As soon as the desired keys have been depressed for the chord which is to be sustained the organist immediately releases the pull-rod n and thereby permitting the spring Z3 to act on the lever Z so as to raise the rod m, and thereby cause the lip m' thereof to raise the valves of those levers which are coupled therewith, as shown in Fig. 5. The desired chord is sustained by retaining the said parts in described position until as much melody of the piece as required has been played, whereupon the or ganist calls into action the throw-off mechanism by causing the lever Z to be actuated so that the lever r is rocked into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. Li, whereby, as shown in Fig. G, the throw-oi`f bar s is pressed against the upper ends of the raised springjacks and the same thereby disengaged from the coupling mechanism7 so that the valves return to normal position under the action of their springs ZL. rlhrough the medium of the described mechanism the organist is enabled to couple any desired number of valve-levers to produce thereby chords which are sustained for the required length of time while playing the melody, so that very striking tone effects are produced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a reed-organ, the combination with valve-levers provided with valves controlling the soundorifices of the reed chest, and spring-jacks carried by said valve-levers and provided with offset or shoulder portions, of mechanism for engaging the latter for lifting one or more of the jacks, together with the valves simultaneously, and means for cngaging the said jack or jacks and releasing the same from the said lifting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In a reed-organ, valve-levers provided with valves, and spring-j acks extending from said valves and provided with olfset portions or shoulders, in combination with an oscil lating rod provided with a lip adapted to engage with said shoulders of the jack, devices for oscillating said rod, and means for disen gaging the jacks, from said rod, substantially as set forth.

3. In a reed organ, the combination of valve-levers, spring-jacks extending from sa id levers and provided with shoulders or offset portions, a fulcrumed lever provided with a rod havin ga lip adapted to engage said shoulder or offset portion, means for oscillating said lever, an oscillating throw-off bar adapted to engage said jacks and disengage the same from said lip, and means for oscillating,r said throw-off bar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO SPAILT] IE.

'Vitnesses:

CARL SroEnL, PAUL LORENZ.

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